The Truth About Menopausal Weight Gain and Increased Belly Fat

Aging can sometimes make it hard for many women to maintain their ideal weight. Gaining a few pounds starts during perimenopause (or a few years before menopause), with extra fat commonly accumulating around the belly. Women, research suggests, gain about 1.5 pounds per year as they go through their 50s and 60s. 

Abdominal weight gain or increased belly fat is common in many older women, particularly in the years leading up to and after or during menopause. Decreased physical activity is not necessarily the one to blame, but a few other factors that women experience as they transition into menopause.

What causes menopausal weight gain?

As previously mentioned, several factors play a part, including:

• Declining estrogen levels– causes a shift in body composition, resulting in extra fat accumulating (or stored) around the abdominal area instead of on your hips and thighs.
• A decrease in muscle mass– comes with aging and contributes to slow metabolism or fewer calories being burned. This makes it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight, particularly with poor habits.
• Menopause symptoms – such as hot flashes, poor sleep, low mood, and night sweats can sometimes make it hard for you to keep your ideal weight or maintain healthier habits.
• Genetics and family history – having parents or close relatives that carry excess belly fat increases your risk of dealing with the same thing. Obesity and being overweight tend to run in families.
• Certain lifestyle habits – including poor diet, lack of exercise, inadequate sleep, and chronic stress can contribute to weight gain in menopause and other stages of life.

What are the risks of menopausal weight gain?

Excess weight, particularly around your midsection, increases your risk of developing certain health issues such as:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Breathing problems
• Heart and blood vessel disease
• Asthma
• Depression
• Sleep apnea
• Osteoarthritis

Managing/preventing menopausal weight gain

There’s no magic pill or solution to weight loss at any stage in life. It will always require some effort and consistency, which will benefit your overall well-being. Below are a few things that can help manage menopausal weight gain.

• Engage in regular physical activity this can help you lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weight. And depending on your exercise routine, you may be able to build some muscles, which is beneficial in burning calories and controlling your weight more easily. Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity and two days of muscle strengthening every week, but it is also a good idea to find a routine that works best for you.
• Eat a balanced diet – fill your diet with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fiber. It is also recommended to watch your portion sizes and limit your consumption of processed foods and red meat. And if you carry excess weight, eat a low-carb diet instead of following extreme or crash diets.
• Curb your sugar cravings – Hormonal imbalances (common in PMS, perimenopause, and menopause) can lead to intense sugar cravings. You can tame them by adding some sweet-tasting whole foods to your diet such as sweet potatoes and pumpkin. And when eating carbohydrates or food high in sugar, pair them with fat and protein to reduce blood sugar spikes and help prevent sugar cravings.
• Limit alcohol – Alcoholic beverages add extra calories to your diet, increasing your risk of gaining weight. This is especially true with drinking on a regular basis. It is also worth noting that aging can weaken or lower your alcohol tolerance because of the decreasing ability of the liver to break down and metabolize alcohol.

Vanquish stubborn belly fat at Cutis

Our aesthetic clinic in Singapore offers Vanquish ME, which is a non-invasive fat reduction procedure. Unlike fat freezing which relies on controlled cooling temperatures, Vanquish ME uses contactless radiofrequency heating to target, melt, and kill fat cells. It can reduce localized fat bulges and contour your body without cuts or needles.

How Vanquish ME works: It uses a machine that emits controlled radiofrequency energy, targeting the fat cells. Exposure to heat causes the fat cells to shrink and die naturally over time. These are processed as waste in the liver and cleared through the lymphatic system. 

It is also worth noting that fat cells have a higher resistance to absorbed heat compared to other tissues in the body. This only means that they can absorb more heat, which is beneficial in triggering apoptosis or natural cell death.

What makes it unique: As previously mentioned, Vanquish ME uses contactless radiofrequency energy to target unwanted fat cells. It can treat different areas of the body without touching or coming into contact with the skin. What the device does is hover over the areas of concern using a panel array of heat energy. 

What areas can it treat: Vanquish ME Singapore treatments are ideal for pockets of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. It can reduce fat in the abdomen, inner and outer thighs, arms, and flanks. It is US FDA-cleared for circumference reduction of the abdomen and thighs. It helps improve love handles, muffin tops, and saddle bags.

What results to expect: You may be able to see improvements in as early as three weeks with optimal results seen after a window of 60 to 90 days. Clinical studies suggest that it can eliminate 59% of excess tummy fat after diet and exercise have failed. Many patients experience about two inches of circumferential reduction in the abdomen and almost one inch on the thighs. 

For further reading: 5 Reasons to Try Vanquish Fat Reduction Procedure

Book a consultation with Cutis

Menopause is a normal and inevitable part of life that can bring on a lot of symptoms that can lead to weight gain. Maintaining healthy habits is important to lose excess weight or keep your ideal weight, which is beneficial in decreasing hot flashes and night sweats. 

If you need a boost in your fitness efforts, particularly in fat reduction or body shaping, we can help. Contact Cutis Medical Laser Clinics in Singapore today to schedule a consultation and body assessment with one of our aesthetic doctors.